Thursday, April 2, 2009

Pasta with Broccoli, Edamame and Walnuts

This is a dish I make a lot on weekdays. It has tons of flavor, great texture, and a decent amount of protein (from the shelled edamame). It is also ridiculously simple to make. The recipe below was adapted from Simple Suppers by the Moosewood Collective.

While the pasta is cooking, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 15 seconds. Add the broccoli and 1/2 cup of the pasta water to the skillet. Turn the heat to high and continue cooking the broccoli for about 2 minutes. Add the edamame and basil and continue cooking until the water has all evaporated and the broccoli has turned bright green in color, another 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Drain the pasta when it is done cooking. Add the pasta and walnuts to the skillet, along with a 1/4 cup of olive oil, and gently toss. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you wish, you can garnish the pasta with either shaved (looks more elegant) or grated parmesan cheese before serving.

2 comments:

Oh, I do something very similar to this, but with a different ethnic spin. I sprinkle a little feta cheese and oregano over the pasta (I don't use walnuts, though, with this, might use some blanched spinach if I have it on hand). Also toss a clove of garlic in the water when I put it on to boil and leave it in the water as the pasta cooks.

Love this kind of dish on nights when I can't think of something to cook!

I will have to try adding a clove of garlic to the water the next time I cook pasta. I've never seen this done before. Actually, I'll toss a couple cloves of garlic in the pasta water, since I love garlic.

About Me

I am a labor lawyer practicing in Washington, D.C. I was born in Tokyo and have lived in San Diego, Los Angeles, Boston, and, most recently, Alexandria City, Virginia, where I reside with my partner of 7 years and our 2 perfect chihuahuas. I have been a vegetarian since 2007.